Question

How can I handle my fears about being at my son's circumcision?

Share

I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my son, and I'm terrified of having the circumcision done and taking care of it afterward. I want him to be circumcised, but I know I'll freak out if they're hurting him. Should I let my mother or my mother-in-law take him so I won't have to be there? Or would that make me a bad mother?

"I know someone who was not circumsized who plainly argued that the foreskin covers the more sensitive area. He also complained of the extra steps necessary to keep the penis clean."
Yes, it 'covers the more sensitive area' - it's protective; it stops the glans from becoming desensitized. I really think this 'someone' that you speak of is made up, because a man who is intact (and obviously has been his whole life) would not talk about retracting his foreskin as being an 'extra step', especially seeing as it only takes a split second. And no, the procedure is not 'perfectly safe' - boys die every year from botched circumcisions.
http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/bollinger2004/
"Deaths from circumcision and its complications are estimated at 229 per year based on a ratio from a British study. There are about 178 times the number of circumcision deaths than schoolyard violent deaths each year."

What makes someone think it's their right to have healthy, functional body parts removed from another unconsenting person? Do people seriously think males are born with defective genitals? Would the people that have this done to their infant sons feel comfortable having it done to him when he is say, 13? This is something that affects a man his whole life. If he doesn't like the fact that half the skin on his penis (supposedly a private part) was removed without his consent, what are you going to say to him?

For the anonymous person above -
here's your evidence (functions of the foreskin):
http://www.norm-uk.org/function.html
another article to read that may explain why your husband is so insistant that your son be circumcised:
http://www.circumstitions.com/men-vuln.html

Why do people think that leaving a boy intact means leaving the 'decision' to him when it's unlikely for most that it would ever even be considered? The idea that there is a decision that needs to be made regarding a boy's genitals is something that was created by the medical profession in the US. In most countries circumcision is not even offered as an option. Circumcision should be seen for what it is: an unnecessary body modification that shouldn't be forced on anyone anymore than tattooing. It being offered at hospitals is nothing more than a scam: this practice only exists because it's paid for by parents who can be convinced of some supposed benefit and performed on infants who can't say 'No!'. People who want to make money from circumcision have to sell it as something that needs be performed on infants, because (right now at this point in time anyway) they have a reasonable chance of selling it to the parents. How much success would they have trying to sell circumcision to the boys themselves (when they're older) in comparison?

By the way, there are women out there too who choose to get themselves circumcised for cosmetic reasons etc. Most women of course would not want any part of their genitals removed. It's the same with men.

Your husband is one guy. If he wanted to get circumcised for whatever reason and he likes it that way then good for him. The vast majority of men who have foreskins would *not* want them cut off - it's sensitive and protective tissue and that *is* a fact.
"It sure looks better" is an opinion, and certainly not a good reason to subject an unconsenting baby to unnecessary surgery.

""I would agree with that. People generally don't want their healthy, functional body parts removed for no reason"
Wrong again. My husband (along with others on this message board) chose it."
Note the word 'generally'. The vast majority of men who have foreskins will never want them cut off.

This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

This site is published by BabyCenter, L.L.C., which is responsible for its contents as further described and qualified in the Terms of Use.